Frequently Asked Questions
This page is dedicated to answering Frequently Answered Questions and common misconceptions regarding Resident Evil 1.5. Production and Development Who is Grant Bitman? In an early stage of production, Leon Scott Kennedy was named "Grant Bitman". He was the lead protagonist in a concept appearing much more similar to the first Resident Evil. By the time development on 1.5 began, he was already redesigned and renamed.Youtube.com, GameCenter CX interview with Hiroyuki KobayashiUnknown Japanese magazine, Biohazard 2 article.Unknown Japanese magazine, Biohazard 2 article (p.75). Was Grant Bitman in Resident Evil 1.5? No, Grant Bitman was never in any build of 1.5. Despite speculation that the V-Fest build features him, all reference materials refer to the character as Leon. Was Leon a veteran police officer? No. Some sources imply that Leon was a veteran police officer prior to being redeveloped in the retail version of Resident Evil 2, but he was always a rookie police officer. Who is Linda? "Linda" is an early name used for Ada Wong. The name has only been seen on the official character comparison chart (found on the PC and Dreamcast versions of Resident Evil 2 and books such as CAPCOM design WORKS). Her name had already been changed to "Ada" in the November 1996 build of 1.5.Resident Evil 1.5, November 1996 build. Who is DJ? "DJ" is actually Leon's superior officer, Roy. In the past, the fan community misread the official character comparison chart where his name is written as . Due to the handwriting in the artwork, it appears similar to the name "DJ".Resident Evil 2 (PC and Dreamcast), Gallery.CAPCOM design WORKS, Chapter 01 - Biohazard 2 (Initial Artwork), (p.30). As Ada had a different name on the character chart, it is likely that it had fueled speculation that Roy's name was also different. What is Biohazard DASH? Some time ago, someone had come forward claiming that a scrapped sequel to Resident Evil had been in production known as "Biohazard DASH". It was rumored to star Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine years after the first game and set in the Spencer Mansion, where they would face off against Plant 42-style enemies. Apparently, it had been cancelled in favor of Resident Evil 1.5.GameFan (Issue #049), Shinji Mikami: The Creator of Resident Evil (Interview) (p.114-115). Transcribed by BioFlames.com, Retrieved 8-24-2016.From BioFlames.com: In a interview with Japanese magazine Famicom Tsushin, Capcom development chief Yoshiki Okamoto revealed some of theire future (and past) plans for the Bio Hazard series. Before Capcom began developing Bio Hazard 2 they began production on Bio Hazard: Dash, a semi-sequel to Bio Hazard. It takes place a few years after Bio Hazard when Chris and Jill go to investigate a few zombified plants that are sighted in the area of the Bio Hazard mansion. While using basically the same enviroment (updated with cracks and cobwebs) Dash would have had a few new locations, different enemies and new weapons, unfortunately production was stopped when Capcom decided to make Bio Hazard 2 insteed. Despite the claims that this project had existed, no evidence has been presented. However, the ruins of the mansion were considered as a potential location in 1.5. It is believed that the concept artwork of this location, along with the various ports of Resident Evil happening at the time, had created a mix-up with fans and gave the impression of a new project altogether.The PlayStation, Unknown issue (June 1998), Developer Interview. Translated by Shmuplations.com, Retrieved 5-30-2016. Plot Does Leon live in Raccoon City? Yes, he has been living in Raccoon City prior to the outbreak after being assigned to the Raccoon City Police Department. Does Elza live in Raccoon City? No, Elza was born and raised in a big city away from Raccoon City. She rode her bike all the way to Raccoon to enroll in classes at Raccoon University. Instead, she ended up in the middle of the outbreak and fled to the police department. Why is Elza in Raccoon City? To enroll at Raccoon University. Contrary to popular belief, Elza was not in the city after returning from a vacation, to participate in a street race, or to look for someone. What does Leon see on the rooftop of the R.P.D.? Leon sees a helicopter crash while standing on the rooftop, which is what his opening lines refer to.Twitter.com, Hideki Kamiya tweet "The former. RT @citchmook of the game, when he's standing on the heli-pad. Was it because a helicopter crashed? or did he see Elza crash into the station" (03-01-2014), Retrieved 12-22-2015. Does Leon see Elza crash into the R.P.D.? No, Elza crashes into the police department after Leon has left the rooftop. What happened to the mansion? After the events of Resident Evil, most of the mansion and the surrounding forest was destroyed. However, the ruins are still standing.BIO HAZARD Directors Cut -Inside of BIO HAZARD-'', AFTER THE BIOHAZARD INCIDENT (p.131). Translated by Project Umbrella.net, Retrieved 8-24-2016. What happened to S.T.A.R.S.? The surviving members of S.T.A.R.S. were taken to the hospital immediately after coming back from the mansion. They each wrote reports on their experiences and were able to implicate Umbrella for their crimes, ultimately leading to the company's demise. Their status after that is unknown. Legacy Do any other ''Resident Evil games use content from 1.5? Several games following the retail release 2'' appear to reuse scrapped content from ''1.5. A list detailing reused content will be available soon. Why doesn't Capcom reuse Elza? From artist Isao Oishi's perspective, Elza is not an individual character; she is an early version of Claire Redfield, much like Grant is an early version of Leon. It is probable that Capcom shares this perspective as well. Therefore, any method to reintroduce her as a character is likely considered unproductive.CAPCOM design WORKS, Chapter 01 - Biohazard 2 (Initial Artwork), (p.29, p.30). Why doesn't Capcom release Resident Evil 1.5? Capcom is not very proud of the project. Aside from this, it is not common practice for game companies to openly release beta builds publicly, beyond demo versions. Finally, it is very unlikely that Capcom has the game anymore. There is a chance that they still have gameplay footage archived, which we may see eventually.Capcom has used recorded footage on the BIOHAZARD Complete Disc, suggesting that they may have it archived. In addition, during the development of the Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster, archival footage of the Nintendo 64 prototype of Zero was publicly shared. Does anyone who worked on 1.5 have the game? Most likely, no. The staff may have assets left over from their work on the game (artwork, notes, etc.), but not any build of the game. They do not want to be asked if they have a build, so please refrain from doing so. Sources ;Excerpts ;Notes ;References